Amid investigations, Rutgers debates sports
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) -The cost of a football stadium expansion and scrutiny of coach Greg Schiano's pay have some faculty, students and alumni questioning Rutgers' decision to invest in a big-time sports program.
As the Scarlet Knights prepare for Monday's opener against Fresno State, university officials are touting how sports success in recent years has improved the visibility of New Jersey's state university. Others are fretting about the message it sends to spend more on football just as state aid to the university is slashed.
"Rutgers is well on the way to becoming what students call a school of last resort," said William C. Dowling, a professor of English. "That is death to a school of Rutgers' history, stature and tradition. And sports have been entirely responsible for the damage."
In the latest controversy, a newspaper reported that Schiano, whose contract this year is worth $1.6 million, gets an additional $250,000 per year from Nelligan Sports Marketing, a firm the university hired in 2000 to market the athletic program. The payment is guaranteed by Rutgers if sponsorships don't cover it.
The university is conducting an internal review of financial controls in the athletic department, coaches' contracts and the deal with Nelligan. Rutgers president Richard L. McCormick announced the review in July amid a series of reports in The Star-Ledger of Newark about possible problems in the athletic department.
The state comptroller's office also has requested documents on the athletic department and is considering a full audit.
Rutgers Athletic Director Robert E. Mulcahy III said that, for sought-after coaches, a clause like Schiano's is common and "is a resourceful way to complete the compensation package." Nelligan Sports Marketing founder and chairman T.J. Nelligan denies that the provision was withheld from the public.
Despite the criticism, McCormick says top sports and academic programs can coexist. He says they do at places like the universities of Michigan, Virginia and California, Berkeley.
"Although our success in athletics may bring people through the door, it is our outstanding academic programs, world-class faculty and unique campus community that make them want to stay," McCormick said in a written response to questions from The Associated Press. "Indeed, academics are, and will remain, our priority at Rutgers."
A debate over whether sports are a savior or downfall of academia could take place at almost any big American university. But Rutgers is different because the push into the sports spotlight is relatively recent, and success was sudden.
One of the school's biggest football wins came in 1869, when it defeated Princeton in the first intercollegiate football game. After that, there wasn't much success to celebrate.
Fifteen years ago, Rutgers finally decided to join the big time by becoming a member of the Big East.
In 1995, the university hired basketball legend C. Vivian Stringer to coach the women's team. Schiano, an assistant at Miami, was picked to take over the long-struggling football team in 2000.
